Tulsa's Cambage, Connecticut's Charles Named WNBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2013 -- Tina Charles of the Connecticut Sun and Elizabeth Cambage of the Tulsa Shock were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, July 29 through Sunday, August 4.

Charles’ 13.0 rpg last week led the WNBA while her 21.5 ppg ranked third. This is the 10th Player of the Week award of her career.

On Aug. 1, Charles scored a game-high 22 points and added 12 rebounds in Connecticut’s come-from-behind victory over Indiana. The Sun trailed by as many as 16 late in the third quarter but came out on top, 70-64.

Two days later against New York, Charles became the fastest player in league history to pull down 1,300 rebounds, accomplishing the feat in 119 games. The previous mark for fewest games to 1,300 rebounds was held by Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith, who did so in 126 games. Charles scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the 88-66 win over the Liberty to collect her 76th career double-double, tying her for fourth all-time with Seattle’s Lauren Jackson.

Cambage led the West in scoring last week with 22.0 ppg while her .652 shooting percentage ranked second. Her 4.0 bpg tied for the league lead.

On Aug. 2, Cambage went 9-for-11 from the field and scored a career-high 28 points to lead Tulsa to a 96-89 victory over Los Angeles. She also went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line, pulled down eight rebounds and blocked four shots, tying a career high.

In a 69-65 loss to San Antonio on Aug. 4, Cambage swatted another four shots in addition to scoring 16 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Angel McCoughtry, Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles, Indiana’s Karima Christmas and New York’s Cappie Pondexter in the East, as well as Los Angeles’ Nneka Ogwumike, Minnesota’s Lindsay Whalen and Seattle’s Shekinna Stricklen in the West.